Schooling available for child having medical procedure

Q. If my child has to have a scheduled procedure, can we request schoolwork ahead of time? This will be more than a month off of school.

A. Yes, your child will be eligible to receive schooling if he or she is having a medical procedure like the one you describe. Talk to your principal and find out how to set up this time to best meet your child's needs. You may get a teacher assigned to you who will come into the hospital or your home, or you may be able to apply for a homework contract. Either way, do not worry about missing school. We work with parents during these times to make sure kids get the schooling they need while they are facing medical issues.

Q.May we request work for a vacation that is not necessary? I mean, if it is just for fun, does that matter?

A. If you have a planned trip, for any reason, during school, you should check with your office manager to request a work contract. This is the best way to keep your child up to date on work that will be missed. There are rules for the contract, but office managers are experts in helping parents apply for them when the children qualify.

Q.As a first-grade teacher for the past nine years, I would like to respond to the parent from today's column who does not want her kindergartner retained. Please listen to your child's teacher. This is not about you, your parenting, or what anyone has or has not done. It is about your child's development. All kids are different and develop differently. This year I have a student who was recommended for retention in kindergarten. The parents refused the placement. In October, when we had goal conferences, I suggested to the parent that the student go back to kindergarten. He did not know all of his letters and knew no letter sounds. He was still in the scribble stage of writing. The parent again refused the offer. Now it is March and the parent is wishing she would have listened to the professionals. Her son is incapable of doing first grade work and is struggling so much that he has given up. He feels terrible about himself because he is comparing himself to his peers. It is just breaking my teacher heart. Please know that retention is not a punishment. Your child will be a much happier kid if he is capable of keeping up with his peers socially and academically.

A. We need to step softly as we help parents understand that retention is only meant to place children alongside their appropriate peers and also to help the children build stronger self-esteem as they begin school. If parents understand that it is not a negative judgment, but an effort to give children time to develop comfort in school and with their friends, they are more likely to listen.

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